School of Arts and Humanities News

Sci-Fi Writer Imagines a Future Without Capitalism

A look at capitalism’s future by science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson leads off a series of UT Dallas arts events in a week that also includes a dance performance, jazz concert and an art exhibit opening.

“The problem is that the future is so hard to imagine that we tend to take analogies from the past,” Robinson said at the Bruce Initiative on Rethinking Capitalism conference at UC Santa Cruz in April.

Robinson challenges science to design a more effective economic system.

His talk is at 7:30 p.m. in the Jonsson Performance Hall.

Robinson has published 15 novels and several short story collections, many of which explore ecological and sociological themes. Recently, the U.S. National Science Foundation sent Robinson to Antarctica as part of its Antarctic Artists and Writers Program. He holds a PhD in English from UC San Diego.

Other arts events scheduled this week include:

The dance performance I’m Not Invisible, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, in the Jonsson Performance Hall. Choreographed by faculty member Micki Saba, the dance is inspired by Mattie Stepanek, a young boy who celebrated life despite being born with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy. The performance expresses the challenges of long-term illness, physical disability and learning differences.

A jazz concert featuring drummer Butch Miles, leading a group of local musicians, on Friday, Nov. 18. Lynn Seaton will accompany him on bass, Karl Lampman on sax, Tony Baker on trombone, Jack Evans on trumpet and UT Dallas faculty member Kelly Durbin on piano. The concert starts at 8 p.m. in the Jonsson Performance Hall.

The opening of One Song, Three Composers by Shannon Novak at CentralTrak, the UT Dallas artist residency and gallery in Deep Ellum. Three electronic pianos will form the focal point of the exhibition, each chromatically altered. The triangle of keyboards will represent the connection and intersection of three different theoretical approaches of mapping color to sound. The instruments also act as a birthing point for the geometric abstractions on the gallery walls. The opening reception for the exhibit will be Saturday, Nov. 19, 8-10 p.m. The show runs until Dec. 17.